NEW YORK, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The makers of Bushmills® Irish Whiskey, one of the oldest names in spirits with hundreds of years of distilling tradition behind it, are proud to announce the launch of Bushmills® Irish Honey. This new, original blend was created with Bushmills® Original Irish Whiskey, triple-distilled with the finest malted Irish barley and pure Irish water. Bushmills® Irish Honey has an added touch of Irish honey resulting in a new blend rich in aromas and flavors, topped off with a warm finish.

With a heritage deeply rooted in authenticity and quality, Bushmills Irish Whiskey has maintained its reputation across hundreds of years as a true Irish whiskey produced and aged at Ireland’s oldest working distillery. Embodied in each blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey is the distillery’s longstanding tradition of celebrating friendships and enduring kinships. Triple-distilled Bushmills Irish Whiskey is made with the finest malted Irish barley and pure Irish water, and is the only Irish whiskey brand that offers a full range of blends and single malts – all of which share rich, mellow, and distinct Bushmills characteristics: Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey; Black Bush Irish Whiskey, Bushmills 10-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Bushmills 16-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey and the rare Bushmills 21-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, and now Bushmills Irish Honey.

“In creating Bushmills Irish Honey, I wanted to make a blend that had a smooth finish enhanced by warm characteristics, and that maintained the great taste and aroma of our original blend,” said Bushmills Master Distiller, Colum Egan. “We knew that Irish honey, in the right quantity, would be the perfect ingredient to bring the blend to life.”

Following the practice of creating blends that have been enjoyed for centuries, Egan has overseen the entire process of distilling Bushmills Irish Honey and believes the new variant is the perfect addition to the Bushmills collection.

“For centuries, distillers have experimented with barrel finishes and blends, and today we continue to expand this tradition with the launch of Bushmills Irish Honey,” said Yvonne Briese, Vice President of Whiskey, Diageo North America. “Bushmills Irish Honey offers consumers a new choice that is wonderful served straight, mixes well, is approachable and unique in its own right that we hope they will enjoy.”

Bushmills Irish Honey will be available exclusively in the United States beginning this month for a limited time. Bushmills reminds friends to drink responsibly. Make sure to drink in moderation and get home safely: designate a driver or take a taxi.

About Bushmills Irish WhiskeyBushmills Irish Whiskey enjoys a worldwide reputation as a uniquely authentic Irish whiskey with a heritage spanning four centuries. Bushmills is a premium Irish whiskey, produced and aged at Ireland’s oldest working distillery in Bushmills Village, Co. Antrim, a community where whiskey has been shared among friends since 1608 when the area was first granted an official license to distil. Triple-distilled Bushmills Whiskey is made with the finest malted Irish barley and pure Irish water, and is the only Irish whiskey brand that offers a full range of blends (standard and deluxe) and single malts – all of which share the rich, mellow and distinct Bushmills characteristics: Bushmills; Black Bush, Bushmills 10-Year-Old Single Malt, Bushmills 16-Year-Old Single Malt and the rare Bushmills 21-Year-Old Single Malt.

About DiageoDiageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, JB, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.